Search - Diego Urcola :: Viva

For the most part, the Latin jazz standouts have been pianists, percussionists, and bassists. Thankfully, Argentina-born, New York-based trumpeter/flugelhornist Diego Urcola is the welcome exception. A rounded sideman who has worked with the United Nation Orchestra and the Caribbean Jazz Project and has appeared in the documentary Calle 54, Urcola has a rich, Milesian/Freddie Hubbard-toned sound that is equally at home negotiating the intricacies of the tango, the clave, and straight-ahead swing. On this CD - his third as a leader -- Urcola fronts a dynamite lineup that includes alto saxophonist/clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera, tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath, and marimba/vibes man Dave Samuels. The ten-track program impressively ranges from the dark and dancing "Tango Azul" and the milonga-mooded title tune to the boppish "Blues for Jimmy" and a riveting reading of Astor Piazzolla's "Adios Nomino." Dizzy Gillespie made an album entitled Have Trumpet Will Excite! Diego Urcola does just that. --Eugene Holley, Jr.